Chemical compounds based on a benzamide-based core exhibit a remarkable range of pharmacological actions in mammals.

For example, N-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-2-methoxy-4-amino-5-chlorobenzamide (metoclopramide) is used in the treatment of patients suffering from gastroparesis. In addition, N-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-4-amino-benzamide is used in the treatment of patients requiring class IA antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy. Thus, these and other agents having a benzamide-based structure possess unique, and often beneficial, pharmacological properties.
The promise of these agents, however, has yet to be fully realized. For example, long term or high-dose use of metoclopramide increases the risk of tardive dyskinesia.
Thus, although benzamide-based compounds possess unique pharmacological properties, the ability to safely and efficaciously utilize these drugs has been limited.
Therefore, pharmacotherapy with benzamide-based compounds, such as metoclopramide, could be improved if new compounds could be provided that retained some degree of the pharmacology of this class of drugs, yet possessed different chemical structures, thereby resulting in different pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic profiles. As a consequence, there is an unmet need for developing novel benzamide-based compounds.
The present invention seeks to address these and other needs in the art.